Lies, Damn Lies and Blogging Statistics.
There are no exact figures on how many companies are blogging these days. But it’s estimated that around 45% of the largest 1,000 publicly held companies in North America have blogs or plan to start them sometime this year.
And so it’s claimed via this Yahoo article, which then spends the rest of its time talking about the benefits of blogging without citing anymore spurious facts or a single example of one of the so-called companies that has jumped on the band wagon thus far. Talk about vague.
This is not an article about how well business blogging is doing, but a desperate plea to get on board veiled in the language of ‘come on in - the water’s fine.’
We’ve been told the benefits over and over. We know the arguments ad nauseum. We believe so readily in the value of the conversation that we even mumble about it in our sleep.
However, there are very few ROI examples regarding incorporating a blog into a company’s web presence. Why?
I’ve managed to break it down quite simply. But, I will gladly post a more detailed analysis at some point.
No, sod it. Here it is anyway.
Here’s a stats breakdown. These figures relate only to Butler Sheetmetal Ltd and The Tinbasher website and blog. I’m not including Tinpot Alley, the planters side, in any way shape, or form.
SEPT 2004 (last full month before revamped Tinbasher): 205 unique visitors: 1 bookmark
OCT 2004: (Tinbasher revamped and became integrated company blog) 1135 unique visitors: 21 bookmarks
NOV 2004: 2140 unique visitors: 74 bookmarks
DEC 2004: 1591 unique visitors: 44 bookmarks
JAN 2005: 2494 unique visitors: 51 bookmarksIn Jan The Tinbasher received its first lot of google pagerank.
FEB 2005: 4511 unique visitors: 62 bookmarks
MAR 2005: 4833 unique visitors: 76 bookmarks
APRIL 2005: (up to today) 3363 unique visitors: 53 bookmarks
Like I mentioned before, our bottom line is as follows:
If we’re being conservative, we’ll say there’s been a 10% increase since we incorporated a blog. And, we’ll also say that it costs 10% of that 10% to have me write it, maintain the other websites and pay for hosting etc.
I’ll now revise that first figure to 20% with the same costs incurred. And that’s since October of last year. Six months.
You might hate me for being so metrics orientated, but you have to present something more tangible to potential businesses than a cosy little chat. This isn’t to say that I’m devaluing the conversation. I’m only talking about any bottom line in any business.
It isn’t good enough to say 45% of companies might be blogging, or might want to start sometime this year. It might very well be true, but if so - prove it.
I’m also open to anymore questions you might have.
Please fire away.
Filed under: Business Blogging, Paul
Good point on the stats - they are bs. I think most of that crap comes form the PR and marketing people hyping the hack out of blogs. I have an enterprise blogging application service - Ideascape. What’s curious is that I live in NJ, 20 mins from NYC and call on hundreds of businesses. From gigantic companies to smaller ones, everyday of the week. I’ve been calling, emailing, mailing, blogging and meeting execs. My numbers tell me that in two years you might see about 10% of businesses blogging. Those stats from Yahoo are the echos of PR and Marketors own voices in their heads.
Ah - Are you talking about businesses wanting to blog, or businesses wanting to use your application?
Hi,
I am talking about all of the businesses that don’t want to blog.
I hear what you’re saying, Jim.
And, ya’ know, some of them shouldn’t be blogging.
Yes, there is an awful lot of echo out there — or koolaid drinking.
Blogs are ‘one’ tactic. They are not ‘the’ tactic. Some businesses don’t need one and others are perfectly suited for them. The type of business might not be the identifying factor, either. The personality of the business owners/management may be the deciding factor.
10% in two years might actually be a generous estimate. More specifically, 10% that are still blogging after they’ve done it for a few months. That would be a generous estimate for two years down the road, in my opinion.
I think there’s a certain Chinese water torture element to blogging evangelism. I really don’t know too many people who heard about blogs then jumped in with both feet. It seems to be a long drawn-out process. This could be one hell of a long story in the making. The intenet is only just getting there and it’s five years since the big bang. I think MSM have a quite a role to play, but they need to understand it as opposed to looking at it from their perspective. The Business Week thing might prove to be an inteesting tipping point. I don’t know - we’ll see.
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If you’re placing a 10% figure on New York then what is the national uptake going to be like?
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And don’t get me started on the UK.